REVIEWS
Dorothy Burton Skårdal. THE D I V I D E D HEART: SCANDINAVIAN IM­MIGRANT
EXPERIENCE T H R O U G H L I T E R A R Y SOURCES. Oslo and
Lincoln, Neb. The Norwegian Research Council for Science and the H u ­manities
and the University of Nebraska Press, 1974. 394 pp. $20.00.
The literature of Scandinavian-American culture has been enriched
substantially and uniquely by the publication of this fine composite study,
which enters a relatively new area of Scandinavian-American history. It
is essential to understand the author's purpose lest the reader misinterpret
the intent and become guilty, figuratively speaking, of "blaming a New
England meeting house for not being a Gothic cathedral." In viewing
conventional history for many years, Dr. Skårdal wondered "if it might
be possbile to use literary works as historical documents in an attempt to
preserve the depths, vividness, and complexity of individual lives within
the broad generalizations of history." Her reflections on this subject
caused her to undertake "writing history out of literature without the
check of such conventional source material." (p. 15)
The author describes various aspects of immigrant life within the above
framework. Eleven chapters consisting of sixty-two sections, which are
divided into many topics, provide a comprehensive survey of considerable
depth. The organization of the material makes it possible to select specific
topics, e. g., the press, education, religion, politics, literature, etc., for
selective reading. Although the volume may seem formidable at first sight,
familiarity with the purpose and design will soon bring recognition of its
excellent merits and usability.
The range of Dr. Skårdal's study is wide. The early section deals with
immigrant literary sources describing the Old-World background. Ex­tensive
materials are provided on "the theme of success" through seconomic
betterment and social advancement. An important section discusses changes
in the immigrant institutions—the school, the press, politics, and the
church. Immigrant values, materialism, social protest, manners, and be­havior
are analyzed in the context of the transition between the Old World
and the New. The final section considers "the divided heart," American
pressures on the European heritage, and the "balance sheet of loss and
gain."
The chapter, "Theories of Cultural Adjustment," explores in detail the
forces involved in "preservation" and "assimilation." The author writes:
"This literature provided overwhelming evidence in establishing a way of
life which was uniquely theirs, neither European nor American but com­posed
of elements from both." (p. 105) An important common element
among Danes, Norwegians, and Swedes in America is described: " A n iron-bound
rock-grounded conservatism was another Scandinavian trait on
which authors of all three nationalities agreed" (p. 101).
268
Qualities of various Scandinavian immigrants are identified although
Swedish-American aspects are stressed in this review:
As for distinctions among the three related nationalities, the Swedes professed
that they were by far the most aristocratic-minded, the most impressed with
titles; that they suffered from extreme jealousy of any of their number who managed
to get his head above the others; and that they tended to covet strongly anything
foreign and exotic to their own culture to the extent of disdaining their own. The
second trait was accredited with weakening their group loyalty, and the last with
hastening their Americanization (pp. 101-02).
The consequences of "the divided heart" resulted in the anguish of
hemlängtan especially among the first-generation immigrants, and a feeling
of not belonging. The latter trait was especially strong among the poets.
Arthur Landfors' poetry is cited as a good example. The situation of the
second generation is described in the words from Elmer T. Peterson's
novel, Trumpets West (1934):
Only after the death of his Swedish father did another second-generation char­acter
feel he fully belonged to America. "Land where my father died"—this phrase,
hitherto repeated so automatically . . . broke into his consciousness as he realized
for the first time a kinship with this soil. For his father was now a part of
American soil (p. 317).
Although the scope of the material is extensive, there is good balance.
Some readers may feel that the role of the church is not adequately por­trayed
as a great source for personal values, comfort, and faith, and also as
the principal means for preserving and maintaining Scandinavian language
and culture. The colleges of the church receive only modest considera­tion.
It must be recalled, however, that the design of the book limits
the author to literary sources.
If the Swedish-American references are typical of the Danish and Nor­wegian,
Dr. Skårdal has impressive knowledge of Scandinavian-American
literary sources. Representative Swedish-American authors whose writings
are discussed include Edwin Björkman, Jakob Bongren, Magnus Elm¬
blad, Arthur Landfors, Oliver Linder, G. N. Malm, Anna Olsson, Ernst
Skarstedt, and Edward Sundell. The principal omissions in the text are
C. A. Lönnquist, E. W. Olson, A. A. Swärd, and Ninian Waerner. The
Swedish-American bibliography is excellent, identifying ninety authors
with representative works although Swärd is again omitted. Ernst Skar¬
stedt's Våra pennfäktare (1897), which provides brief biographies of 300
Swedish-American authors and selected poems, deserves to be included.
Dr. Skårdal, a Radcliffe and Harvard Ph.D., who is a lecturer in Amer­ican
studies at the American Institute, University of Oslo, has made an
important contribution to understanding Scandinavian-American life
through the use of literary sources. In addition to the high intrinsic value
and merit of The D i v i d e d Heart, she has identified a wide range of topics
for further research.
EMORY LINDQUIST
Wichita State University.
Lindquist, Emory. AN IMMIGRANT'S AMERICAN ODYSSEY: A BIO­G
R A P H Y OF ERNST SKARSTEDT. Augustana Historical Society Publica­tions,
XXIV. Rock Island, 111., 1974. Pp. 240. $5.95.
In recounting the life story of Ernst Teofil Skarstedt, Emory Lindquist
269

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REVIEWS
Dorothy Burton Skårdal. THE D I V I D E D HEART: SCANDINAVIAN IM­MIGRANT
EXPERIENCE T H R O U G H L I T E R A R Y SOURCES. Oslo and
Lincoln, Neb. The Norwegian Research Council for Science and the H u ­manities
and the University of Nebraska Press, 1974. 394 pp. $20.00.
The literature of Scandinavian-American culture has been enriched
substantially and uniquely by the publication of this fine composite study,
which enters a relatively new area of Scandinavian-American history. It
is essential to understand the author's purpose lest the reader misinterpret
the intent and become guilty, figuratively speaking, of "blaming a New
England meeting house for not being a Gothic cathedral." In viewing
conventional history for many years, Dr. Skårdal wondered "if it might
be possbile to use literary works as historical documents in an attempt to
preserve the depths, vividness, and complexity of individual lives within
the broad generalizations of history." Her reflections on this subject
caused her to undertake "writing history out of literature without the
check of such conventional source material." (p. 15)
The author describes various aspects of immigrant life within the above
framework. Eleven chapters consisting of sixty-two sections, which are
divided into many topics, provide a comprehensive survey of considerable
depth. The organization of the material makes it possible to select specific
topics, e. g., the press, education, religion, politics, literature, etc., for
selective reading. Although the volume may seem formidable at first sight,
familiarity with the purpose and design will soon bring recognition of its
excellent merits and usability.
The range of Dr. Skårdal's study is wide. The early section deals with
immigrant literary sources describing the Old-World background. Ex­tensive
materials are provided on "the theme of success" through seconomic
betterment and social advancement. An important section discusses changes
in the immigrant institutions—the school, the press, politics, and the
church. Immigrant values, materialism, social protest, manners, and be­havior
are analyzed in the context of the transition between the Old World
and the New. The final section considers "the divided heart," American
pressures on the European heritage, and the "balance sheet of loss and
gain."
The chapter, "Theories of Cultural Adjustment," explores in detail the
forces involved in "preservation" and "assimilation." The author writes:
"This literature provided overwhelming evidence in establishing a way of
life which was uniquely theirs, neither European nor American but com­posed
of elements from both." (p. 105) An important common element
among Danes, Norwegians, and Swedes in America is described: " A n iron-bound
rock-grounded conservatism was another Scandinavian trait on
which authors of all three nationalities agreed" (p. 101).
268
Qualities of various Scandinavian immigrants are identified although
Swedish-American aspects are stressed in this review:
As for distinctions among the three related nationalities, the Swedes professed
that they were by far the most aristocratic-minded, the most impressed with
titles; that they suffered from extreme jealousy of any of their number who managed
to get his head above the others; and that they tended to covet strongly anything
foreign and exotic to their own culture to the extent of disdaining their own. The
second trait was accredited with weakening their group loyalty, and the last with
hastening their Americanization (pp. 101-02).
The consequences of "the divided heart" resulted in the anguish of
hemlängtan especially among the first-generation immigrants, and a feeling
of not belonging. The latter trait was especially strong among the poets.
Arthur Landfors' poetry is cited as a good example. The situation of the
second generation is described in the words from Elmer T. Peterson's
novel, Trumpets West (1934):
Only after the death of his Swedish father did another second-generation char­acter
feel he fully belonged to America. "Land where my father died"—this phrase,
hitherto repeated so automatically . . . broke into his consciousness as he realized
for the first time a kinship with this soil. For his father was now a part of
American soil (p. 317).
Although the scope of the material is extensive, there is good balance.
Some readers may feel that the role of the church is not adequately por­trayed
as a great source for personal values, comfort, and faith, and also as
the principal means for preserving and maintaining Scandinavian language
and culture. The colleges of the church receive only modest considera­tion.
It must be recalled, however, that the design of the book limits
the author to literary sources.
If the Swedish-American references are typical of the Danish and Nor­wegian,
Dr. Skårdal has impressive knowledge of Scandinavian-American
literary sources. Representative Swedish-American authors whose writings
are discussed include Edwin Björkman, Jakob Bongren, Magnus Elm¬
blad, Arthur Landfors, Oliver Linder, G. N. Malm, Anna Olsson, Ernst
Skarstedt, and Edward Sundell. The principal omissions in the text are
C. A. Lönnquist, E. W. Olson, A. A. Swärd, and Ninian Waerner. The
Swedish-American bibliography is excellent, identifying ninety authors
with representative works although Swärd is again omitted. Ernst Skar¬
stedt's Våra pennfäktare (1897), which provides brief biographies of 300
Swedish-American authors and selected poems, deserves to be included.
Dr. Skårdal, a Radcliffe and Harvard Ph.D., who is a lecturer in Amer­ican
studies at the American Institute, University of Oslo, has made an
important contribution to understanding Scandinavian-American life
through the use of literary sources. In addition to the high intrinsic value
and merit of The D i v i d e d Heart, she has identified a wide range of topics
for further research.
EMORY LINDQUIST
Wichita State University.
Lindquist, Emory. AN IMMIGRANT'S AMERICAN ODYSSEY: A BIO­G
R A P H Y OF ERNST SKARSTEDT. Augustana Historical Society Publica­tions,
XXIV. Rock Island, 111., 1974. Pp. 240. $5.95.
In recounting the life story of Ernst Teofil Skarstedt, Emory Lindquist
269